The overall goal of the Fermentation Shared Facility is to generate cells and biologic materials which will expedite research efforts of Cancer Center members. The Fermentation Shared Facility provides members of the Comprehensive Cancer with the capability to produce microbial, animal and insect cells and their products on a scale that would be uneconomic in the laboratory. The facility consists of space with equipment for large-scale cell growth, for cell disruption, for bioprocessing (purification) and for appropriate analytical measurements. The scale for cell growth ranges from eight to four hundred liters, whereas that for cell disruption changes from one hundred millimeters to forty liters. In addition the facility makes available biomass of several stock strains of bacteria, one strain of animal cells and two proteins. The facility also makes available significant expertise in the production and purification of biological material. From October 1, 1997 to September 30, 1998, the facility provided 128 units of use by members of the Center for fermentation and bioprocessing. The facility was used by 14 principle investigations with 17 funded projects. Their use was instrumental in 29 publications. The usage of the Fermentation Shared Facility increased for the first 12 years of operation and now has apparently reached somewhat of a constant usage rate.